Protection from Afar. How to Support People in Turkey and Visitors to Turkey in Cases of Persecution and Arbitrary Arrest

02.09.2020

 

Arbitrary arrests are part of everyday life in  Turkey, especially since the attempted coup in the summer of2016. Turkish citizens and people with Turkish roots are particularly affected, and to a much lesser extent internationals. Common to all these cases are vague accusations such as support for terrorism or membership in terrorist organizations.
How can persecuted people in Turkey be protected from a distance - i.e. from outside Turkey - and what should be done in the event of arrest? Is a public outcry of indignation in any case the right way? The brochure is addressed to people and groups who wish to support persecuted/ arrested people in Turkey or contribute to their release. It offers a guide to how protective accompaniment of vulnerable persons can function without the physical presence of accompaniers. What actions can protect against unlawful persecution and where caution is needed so that persecuted persons are not harmed more than they are helped?
How help can be provided is to be decided on a case-by-case basis. For this, a profound analysis and strategy development are indispensable. The brochure offers a
comprehensive basis with insights into Turkey's legal system, suggestions for setting up support networks, ways of communicating with persecuted persons, tips on media work and how to contact politicians and diplomats, a variety of useful links to intergovernmental organisations such as the UN or OSCE, and much more. Concrete experience reports complete the overall picture of the support possibilities. 
 
Editor:  Working Group “Stop the Cycle of Violence in Turkey”: War Resisters‘ International, International Fellowship of Reconciliation Austria, Connection e.V., Federation for Social Defence e.V. together with partners in Turkey, September 2020, 32 pages, Hintergrund- und Diskussionspapier (Background and Discussion Paper) of the Federation of Social Defence, No. 69, ISSN 1439-2011, 4,00 € (plus portage).
 
Order at:
War Resisters’ International. https://www.wri-irg.org/en
Connection e.V., https://de.connection-ev.org/
Bund für Soziale Verteidigung, https://soziale-verteidigung.de/
Versöhnungsbund Österreich, https://www.versoehnungsbund.at/
Or download it for free as PDF or e-book from these websites.